About 40 homes evacuated as crews battle 80-acre wildfire in Juneau County
KINGSTON − About 40 homes are being evacuated and portions of Juneau County 173 are closed as fire crews from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and local agencies respond to a roughly 80-acre wildfire in Juneau County.
The Warthog Fire in the Juneau County town of Kingston is growing as of 5:30 p.m. May 12, according to the Wisconsin DNR. The fire started in the town of Cutler and is moving into the town of Kingston, near the community of Mather, the DNR said in a news release.
The fire is traveling northeast and is burning in pine and marsh grass. Crews are making progress on containment, but there is no estimate as to when firefighters will have the wildfire under control, according to the release.
Eleven engines, six tractor plows, two air attack planes and two Wisconsin Army National Guard Blackhawk helicopters are working to extinguish the fire. Several local fire departments and local law enforcement are assisting with evacuations. Homeowners and businesses will be notified by emergency personnel on scene if they are in the impacted area, the release said.
The Southwest District Incident Management Team has been activated, and the command post has been set up at the DNR Tomah Ranger Station. Several more DNR resources have been ordered to the fire, according to the release.
The cause of the wildfire is under investigation.
Monday's weather conditions resulted in critical fire danger, with DNR suspending outdoor burning in the area. Contributing factors include warm temperatures, very low relative humidity and windy conditions, according to the Wisconsin DNR.
For the most current fire situation, check the DNR Facebook page or check current fire danger, wildfire reports and burning restrictions on the DNR website.
Editor Jamie Rokus can be reached at jrokus@gannett.com or follow her on Twitter at @Jamie_Rokus.
This article originally appeared on Wisconsin Rapids Daily Tribune: 40 homes evacuated as crews battle 80-acre wildfire in Juneau County
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